Protect Me
by ForeverIsAnAwfullyLongTime
Summary: Post 2x18. A conversation late in the night between Emma and Charming leads to a whole new series of events that could change everything.


"Where's Emma?" Snow asked David and Henry as she walked down the stairs of the apartment.

"We thought she was upstairs," David frowned.

"She isn't, I thought she was down here with you two," Snow replied, concerned.

"Where would she go?" Henry asked.

David and Snow exchanged a look "Henry, why don't you go upstairs and see if you can find anything?" Snow smiled at him.

Henry sighed and walked dejectedly up the stairs, knowing when he was being told to go away.

"Do you think she's gone to do something stupid?" Snow whispered.

"Emma? No," David raised his eyebrows sarcastically.

"I just don't see what she could do, as far as she's concerned, nothing is wrong," Snow frowned.

David looked away and whistled. Snow's eyes narrowed,

"What did you do?"

"Nothing," David replied innocently.

"Charming," Snow warned.

He sighed "Well it was a couple of nights ago..."

* * *

_David walked down the stairs, not being able to sleep for the third day in a row. Ever since he found out about Snow, he was worried all the time. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs in surprise when he saw Emma leaning over the counter deep in thought._

_"Can't sleep either?" he asked as he walked in._

_Emma looked over at him, pulled out of her trance "Nope,"_

_David stood on the other side of the counter "Any particular reason?"_

_Emma sighed "I keep thinking about August, and what he tried to warn me about..."_

_"Hey, we'll figure it out," David said softly._

_Emma looked up and met his eyes, smiling softly "Well what's your excuse?"_

_David looked away "Just can't sleep I guess,"_

_"Liar," Emma called him out._

_David looked back at her "It's nothing,"_

_"David," Emma raised her eyebrows._

_"Emma," he said back._

_"Stop trying to protect me and tell me what's going on," she said strongly._

_David let out a sigh, he knew that look, Snow had it, it meant she wasn't going to back down "It's Snow, she told me something the other night,"_

_"Is she okay?" Emma asked in concern, she'd been worried about her mother as well lately._

_"She went to see Regina," David blurted out._

_Emma's eyes widened "W-what?" she stammered "She could have been killed!"_

_"That's what she wanted," David said quietly._

_Tears came to Emma's eyes "But..."_

_David looked up at her "Regina took her heart,"_

_A sob escaped from Emma "Does she still have it?"_

_"No, when she took it out.." he took a breath "There was black in it,"_

_"No..." Emma shook her head._

_"So she put it back, and told her she was turning dark," David finished._

_Suddenly Emma was crying "She promised me, she promised me she wouldn't leave me,"_

_David walked quickly around the other side of the counter where Emma was and grabbed her shoulders gently so she would look at him "Hey, you won't, she's going to be fine, we're going to make sure of it,"_

_"I can't lose her," another tear rolled down Emma's cheek "I can't lose either of you,"_

_"You won't," David promised._

_Emma sniffed and wiped away her tears "Thanks,"_

_"Anytime," David smiled back._

_Emma turned and started back up the stairs, then she paused and walked quickly back towards David, and wrapping her arms around him._

_David stood there in shock for a moment before wrapping his arms around her as well, and kissing the top of her head._

_"I love you," he said quietly._

_"I love you too," Emma replied, so soft he almost didn't hear it, but he did, and it was the happiest he'd been in a while._

* * *

"Charming," Snow had tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I told her," he sighed.

"No it was wrong of us to keep it from her in the first place," Snow shook her head.

"I'm worried she's gone after Regina," David confessed.

Snow's eyes widened "We need to find her,"

* * *

Ten minutes later, they had dropped Henry off at Neal's, with a brief explanation of what was happening to Neal.

"So where do we start?" David asked as they walked just near the diner.

"Here," Snow headed towards the diners entrance.

"Snow, now is not the time for food!" David exclaimed as they walked in.

Snow shot him a look before walking up to the counter, where Ruby was standing.

"Oh right," David realised.

"Red, we need your help," Snow asked her friend.

"What's wrong?" Ruby frowned.

"Can you find Emma?" Snow asked, holding out one of Emma's sweaters.

Ruby held her hand out, and Snow handed it to her, she took a sniff and then headed out the door, with Snow and David following her.

They walked towards the woods, and they were starting to get concerned. Suddenly, Red stopped.

"I lost it, but she shouldn't be far," she told them.

Snow and David looked down the path "She won't be, the toll bridge is just up here," Snow breathed.

"Good luck," Red said, knowing they had to do this alone, and walking away. Snow and David headed down the path as quick as they could.

They reached one end of the bridge and started to look around.

"I'll go into the woods near here," Snow said.

"I'll stay around here and look," David nodded.

"Be careful," Snow looked at him.

"I love you," David looked back at her.

"You too," Snow replied before heading back into the woods.

David looked after her for a few seconds before heading across the bridge, what he saw on the other side made his heart skip a beat.

"EMMA!" he yelled, running towards the crumpled up figure on the path.

He knelt down next to her, rolling her so she was on her back, her eyes were closed, but he could hear her breathing. He sighed in relief, she was alive.

"Emma please wake up," he shook her gently, then gently pushed a piece of her hair back from her face. She stirred and her eyes slowly blinked open.

"...dad?" she whispered warily.

David felt his heart lift and tears come to his eyes "Yes baby I'm here,"

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked softly.

"I came looking for you," David whispered "I was so scared,"

"I wanted to prove I didn't need anyone to protect me," Emma coughed.

"Oh Emma," David shook his head "That's my job,"

"I've never had someone want to do that for me before," she sniffed, tears forming in her eyes.

"Well now you do, so get used to it," David tucked another piece of hair behind her ear.

Emma sat up and wrapped her arms around him again, and he returned the hug, holding her tight.

"Daddy," Emma whispered through tears.

David felt tears running down his cheeks too, it was at that moment that Snow came back, he saw relief flood her features when she saw Emma, and tears in her eyes at the scene in front of her. She came and sat next to them.

"Emma," she breathed "I'm so glad you're okay,"

Emma pulled away from her father and turned to her mother "Mom," she said quietly, pulling Snow into a hug.

"My Emma, my beautiful girl, you're all I need to make me good again," Snow whispered.

David wrapped his arms around the both of them, his family. And in that moment, everything was perfect.

* * *

**A/N: so this is just a really cute idea I couldn't get out of my head :) hope you enjoyed.**


End file.
